This invention relates to a method of preventing corrosion of the interior surfaces of air compression devices and similar apparatuses when the interior surfaces of the apparatuses come into contact with precipitated acidic water such as an acidic mist or acidic droplets. This invention also relates to an anti-corrosion air compression device for carrying out the above-mentioned method.
Air compressors are often used to introduce pressurized air into a variety of containers. Air is primarily composed of nitrogen gas and oxygen gas, and may also contain an appreciable amount of water vapor. Furthermore, because of air pollution, the air may also contain contaminants such as hydrogen sulphide which can be a component in acid rain. Therefore, when air is compressed by an air compressor, water vapor may precipitate and form acidic mist and droplets which may act as a corrosive agent on any exposed interior metal surface of the compressor. This may greatly shorten the life of the compressor and therefore increase the frequency and cost of servicing.
Previous attempts to prevent corrosion in such systems utilized expensive materials such as stainless steel, plated the interior surface with a more corrosion resistant metal (e.g., zinc), or coated the interior surface with a material (e.g., paint) more durable than the metal surface. These methods are costly and laborious, and in the cases of the use of plating or an interior coating, it is difficult to ensure that the protective coating is continuous over all of the interior surface, especially at joints.